FAQ about Moderators
Who are the moderators?
They are ordinary members (or “foreros”, in forum slang) who have been invited by the administrative team to take on a temporary assignment. They are unpaid volunteers who help maintain order in the forums, in addition to participating in the forums as regular members.
At the bottom of each forum is a list of members who moderate that forum. A complete list of moderators is available on the Staff members page, which you can also find through the Members page at the top of every page of the forum.
How are moderators chosen?
When there are openings on the administrative team, current moderators suggest and discuss candidates. The WR administrator makes the final decision, considering these requirements:
- Very active in the forums, available and willing;
- Highly capable in the languages of the forums they are to moderate;
- Easy to work with and very helpful, especially with beginners;
- Collaborative with both moderator staff and fellow members;
- Serious, trustworthy and obviously dedicated to the WordReference Mission.
Where can moderators moderate?
Each moderator is responsible for one or two forums or subforums. All moderators have the ability to moderate in any forum, but they generally moderate only in their assigned forums.
Why do moderators have different titles than other members?
Each moderator is free to choose his or her own title.
What do moderators do?
Moderators keep the forum clean, organized and running smoothly. Their duties include:
- Reading threads to ensure that posts are cordial, collegial, on-topic and not chatty, and that they follow rules of punctuation and capitalization;
- Merging or deleting duplicate posts and threads;
- Responding to report-a-post messages from members;
- Moving misplaced threads to the appropriate forum;
- Closing or removing threads that are outside the scope of a forum;
- Changing thread titles for clarity;
- Deleting advertising and “spam” posts;
- Editing posts as necessary, to fulfill the mission of the forums;
- Banning members, when necessary;
- Asking posters for context and complete sentences;
- Sending Private Conversations to members;
- Answering threads like any other member.
How can the WRF community help the moderator team?
All members are encouraged to direct moderators to any post or thread that needs attention. Just click on the "Report" link at the bottom of the post you wish to report.
Do moderators work as a team?
The moderators collaborate as much as possible. Because moderators are in different time zones and have responsibility for different forums, they tend to work independently. Each forum has its own customs and practices, so moderator actions may vary from one forum to the next.
Can moderators be disciplined just like other members? By whom?
Moderators must abide by the rules, just like other members. Their posts can be reported by members and are subject to moderation by other moderators. If disciplinary action is warranted, it is carried out by the administrator.
What do I do if I disagree with a moderator action?
Discussions about moderator or administrator actions are welcome via email or Private Conversation, but should not be discussed in the public forums. This is out of respect for the members and moderators involved.
If you don’t understand or agree with a moderator’s actions, send a Private Conversation to that moderator or another moderator that you trust. Your complaints and suggestions are welcome and will help us improve the WR forums.
If it is a general rule that you disagree with, you can start a thread in the Comments and Suggestions forum. (Search that forum first for previous discussions of the rule to get a better understanding.)
How do I contact a moderator of an individual forum?
Directly below the list of forum threads (conversations) is the list of members who moderate that forum. To contact a moderator, click on their username or avatar to send a Private Conversation. If you wish to contact all of the moderators of a specific forum about a specific subject, click "Report" on a relevant post, even if it is your own post, to explain the situation.
Version: 2022.02.24
They are ordinary members (or “foreros”, in forum slang) who have been invited by the administrative team to take on a temporary assignment. They are unpaid volunteers who help maintain order in the forums, in addition to participating in the forums as regular members.
At the bottom of each forum is a list of members who moderate that forum. A complete list of moderators is available on the Staff members page, which you can also find through the Members page at the top of every page of the forum.
How are moderators chosen?
When there are openings on the administrative team, current moderators suggest and discuss candidates. The WR administrator makes the final decision, considering these requirements:
- Very active in the forums, available and willing;
- Highly capable in the languages of the forums they are to moderate;
- Easy to work with and very helpful, especially with beginners;
- Collaborative with both moderator staff and fellow members;
- Serious, trustworthy and obviously dedicated to the WordReference Mission.
Where can moderators moderate?
Each moderator is responsible for one or two forums or subforums. All moderators have the ability to moderate in any forum, but they generally moderate only in their assigned forums.
Why do moderators have different titles than other members?
Each moderator is free to choose his or her own title.
What do moderators do?
Moderators keep the forum clean, organized and running smoothly. Their duties include:
- Reading threads to ensure that posts are cordial, collegial, on-topic and not chatty, and that they follow rules of punctuation and capitalization;
- Merging or deleting duplicate posts and threads;
- Responding to report-a-post messages from members;
- Moving misplaced threads to the appropriate forum;
- Closing or removing threads that are outside the scope of a forum;
- Changing thread titles for clarity;
- Deleting advertising and “spam” posts;
- Editing posts as necessary, to fulfill the mission of the forums;
- Banning members, when necessary;
- Asking posters for context and complete sentences;
- Sending Private Conversations to members;
- Answering threads like any other member.
How can the WRF community help the moderator team?
All members are encouraged to direct moderators to any post or thread that needs attention. Just click on the "Report" link at the bottom of the post you wish to report.
Do moderators work as a team?
The moderators collaborate as much as possible. Because moderators are in different time zones and have responsibility for different forums, they tend to work independently. Each forum has its own customs and practices, so moderator actions may vary from one forum to the next.
Can moderators be disciplined just like other members? By whom?
Moderators must abide by the rules, just like other members. Their posts can be reported by members and are subject to moderation by other moderators. If disciplinary action is warranted, it is carried out by the administrator.
What do I do if I disagree with a moderator action?
Discussions about moderator or administrator actions are welcome via email or Private Conversation, but should not be discussed in the public forums. This is out of respect for the members and moderators involved.
If you don’t understand or agree with a moderator’s actions, send a Private Conversation to that moderator or another moderator that you trust. Your complaints and suggestions are welcome and will help us improve the WR forums.
If it is a general rule that you disagree with, you can start a thread in the Comments and Suggestions forum. (Search that forum first for previous discussions of the rule to get a better understanding.)
How do I contact a moderator of an individual forum?
Directly below the list of forum threads (conversations) is the list of members who moderate that forum. To contact a moderator, click on their username or avatar to send a Private Conversation. If you wish to contact all of the moderators of a specific forum about a specific subject, click "Report" on a relevant post, even if it is your own post, to explain the situation.
Version: 2022.02.24